It’s not just the women who go through menopause. Men also go through andropause. It occurs after a man passes the 40 year. The term “male menopause” is being used quite often. The hormones like estrogen and progesterone in females and testosterone in males control the physical and sexual changes in the body as it passes through stages of puberty, adulthood and old age. In the old age, the sex hormones deplete. At 60 to 70 years of age, the testosterone levels in the body are about half of what you had when you were 25 years old. Read this article till the end to understand andropause.
The main cause of andropause is the lack of testosterone in the male body. As the men age increases and become older, the testosterone producing capabilities in their bodies diminish. The nature of the male needs to boost the testosterone at regular interval in order to carry out daily activities or display ‘masochistic’ characteristics.
Unlike menopause, andropause symptoms occur due to lack of testosterone are not restricted to older or middle aged men. The general deficiency of testosterone in the male body will lead to andropause and even younger men in their 20s or 30s are prone to this condition.
Symptoms of Andropause – Symptoms of andropause are very similar to menopause as it occurs at a middle aged stage in their lives and causes many physical abnormalities along with some mental and psychological issues.
The sudden surge of adrenaline that rushes through the body, the growth of hair on the body, the deepness of the voice, the ability to lift heavy objects, run faster and reserve the stamina are attributable to the presence of testosterone in the male body. The lack of this hormone causes all these activities and attributes to get lowered.
The following are the common symptoms-
• Muscle weakness
• Memory loss
• Frequent mood swings
• Exhaustion
• Depression
• Increase in fat percentage of the body.
• Testicular dysfunction.
• Premature ejaculation.
• Loss of bone weight.
• Poor concentration power.
• Osteoporosis.
• Loss of libido.
• Erectile dysfunction.
• Low sperm count.
• Decreased frequency of morning erection.
Important Points of andropause
1) The most common is the fall of sex drive in men. A decreased libido, lowered level of stamina, disinterest in the act of sex and erectile dysfunction.
2) An overall reduction in the energy and strength levels after a certain age can be a possible sign of andropause .If this lethargy and constant sense of tiredness persists it means the body is not producing any testosterone .
3) The middle aged man is hard to concentrate on his tasks and his attention keeps wandering easily, it could be an andropause symptoms.
4) Similar to menopause, there are extreme bouts of sudden sweating which is referred as hot flashes. Sudden and inexplicable sweating can be attributed to the lack of testosterone in the male body.
5) So, decreased senses of agility, strength, virility, memory, muscle strength are the classic symptoms of andropause. It is a natural process that is inevitable as bodily functions and hormone secretions slowly but steadily start.
